The international ATAS - AnXAS workshop – organized by the Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (KIT-INE) – was held in 2024 at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in the FTU Auditorium, KIT Campus North, from October 7 to 11. ATAS - AnXAS 2024 has been the second joint workshop since merging the formerly separate ATAS and ActinideXAS series in 2022. Both workshops date back to original initiatives by Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). ActinideXAS was launched in 1998 at the ESRF in Grenoble (France) to focus on work at emerging dedicated synchrotron labs licensed to handle radionuclide materials at beamlines. The follow-up events took place at LBNL (USA), FZK (Germany), SOLEIL (France), SPring-8 (Japan), PSI (Switzerland), and Oxford University (UK). The series of ATAS workshops started in 2012 at HZDR in Dresden (Germany) in the context of a comprehensive round robin test comparing actinide speciation methods at labs around the world – followed by events at HZDR, PNNL (USA) and Nice (France). ATAS extended the scope to other advanced, not solely synchrotron-based speciation methods, with an additional emphasis on quantum chemistry. The first joint workshop was held in 2022 – again at the ESRF in Grenoble – feeling the strong need to catch up with personal exchange between experts and novices in the fields of actinide science, radionuclide speciation, spectroscopy and theory after the forced break due to the pandemic. As from the beginning the audiences of both ATAS and ActinideXAS had been largely overlapping, the scientific advisory boards decided to keep the format as a five-day joint workshop for Karlsruhe 2024 and as well for the 3^rd joint event envisaged to be held at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab at the beginning of 2027.

ATAS - ANXAS 2024 attracted a total of 94 participants from 10 countries: Germany, France, United States, United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, Finland, Japan, Switzerland, Canada and China. The meeting featured 14 topical sessions structured by five invited plenary talks – one scheduled to open each day – 15 invited keynote lectures and 40 contributed oral presentations. These lectures were covering a broad range of radionuclide speciation methods and application fields (from radio-toxicology and medicine to the characterization of nuclear waste forms), where the unabatedly growing impact of high-resolution X-ray fluorescence detection studies was remarkable. As well noteworthy was the high degree of maturity reached by computational chemistry tools in support of 5f element spectroscopies, e.g., to disentangle the wealth of transition features in resonant inelastic X-ray scattering. The conference program was complemented by an evening poster session held at the premises of the KIT Light Source – the local synchrotron radiation facility operated at the Karlsruhe Research Accelerator (KARA). Preceding the presentation and intense discussion of a total of 22 poster contributions was an introduction into the dual mission of KARA by accelerator physicist Bastian Härer of IBPT (KIT Institute for Beam Physics and Technology): as light source for KIT users and their cooperation partners as well as accelerator technology test facility. The poster session was completed by the possibility to visit 5 beamline stations (SUL-X, CAT-ACT, X-SPEC, NANO, IMAGE) operated by KIT institutes IPS, IKFT and INE.

The workshop proceedings (ISSN: 2701-262X / DOI: 10.5445/IR/1000175765) are availbe for download here.

A visit of the popular Technik Museum Speyer in the nearby Palatinate region was organized as workshop excursion, reached by a 40 minutes bus ride from the conference venue. The evening started with a reception and a self-guided tour of the space flight exhibition – with a special section focusing on the benefits of space technology for our everyday life – and was concluded by a buffet dinner in the “Pfälzer Weindorf” on-site the museum’s vast exhibition area. An instructive as well as entertaining dinner talk was given by David L. Clark from Los Alamos National Lab, USA, titled "Historical perspectives on the development of actinide XAS".

Three young participants of ATAS - AnXAS 2024 in their early career phase as PhD students have been selected to receive an award for their work presented as poster or oral contribution.

Awards for the two best posters (voted for by all participants of the poster session):

• Emily Reynolds (KIT-INE, Germany) – “Development and Application of a Microfluidic Set-Up for In-Situ Studies of Formation Kinetics of La- and U-Complexes Using High Resolution Spectroscopic Methods”
• Nathan M. Alcock (University of Manchester, UK) – “Determination of actinide central-field covalency with resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS)”

Award for the best young scientist oral presentation (selected by the scientific advisory board):

Janik Lohmann (Universität Mainz, Germany) – “Investigation of gluconate complexation with trivalent Eu, Pu and Am using CE-ICP-MS”

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c00396

https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c13934

After the Habilitation Colloquium at 18^th October 2023, Frank Heberling now finalized his habilitation at the KIT faculty for Civil Engineering, Geo- and Environmnetal Sciences with in an inaugural lecture at 5^th June 2024. The habilitation in Environmental Mineralogy – Geochemistry has the title “Thermodynamic Models for Ion-Interactions with Mineral Phases at Ambient Conditions”. In his inaugural lecture about geochemical reactions at mineral-water-interfaces, Frank Heberling highlighted recent developments in surface complexation modelling [1, 2].

[1] F. Heberling et al., Structure and Surface Complexation at the Calcite(104)-Water Interface. Environmental Science & Technology 2021, 55, (18), 12403-12413

[2] F. Heberling et al., Thermodynamic models of solid-liquid-interface chemistry - free surfaces and charge regulation boundary conditions. In: Wandelt, K., Bussetti, G. (eds.) Encyclopedia of Solid-Liquid Interfaces, Elsevier 2024

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c09356

As a prelude to the seminar „Atommüll: Endlagerung hoch radioaktiver Abfälle“ (Final Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste), two dozen students of the KIT Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences visited the INE on 31 July together with Prof. Dr. Armin Grunwald, Head of Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (KIT-ITAS). Before a tour of the INE control area, basic natural scientific and technical questions on the disposal of highly radioactive waste were discussed. At three selected stations of the control area - the shielded box line ("hot cells"), the laboratory for surface analytics and the actinide laboratory - INE staff then presented main aspects of the INE's application-oriented basic research on the interim storage and final disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00130

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c00251

Unter diesem Titel konnten sich am Samstag, dem 17.06.2023 im Rahmen des erstmalig seit 6 Jahren wieder am KIT Campus Nord organisierten Tages der offenen Tür zahlreiche Besucherinnen und Besucher über die Forschungsarbeiten des INE zur nuklearen Entsorgung, zu den verschiedenen Endlagerkonzepten sowie zum Rückbau kerntechnischer Anlagen anhand von Postern und Exponaten informieren. Unsere Gäste konnten live das fernhantierte Arbeiten eines Abbruchroboters erleben und verschiedene Proben auf deren natürliche Radioaktivität testen. Kleine und große Nachwuchsforscher*innen konnten ihre Geschicklichkeit an einer Handschuhbox erproben und selber das fernhantierte Arbeiten mithilfe von Manipulatoren ausprobieren. Das INE war ebenfalls beim Besichtigungsprogramm an der Beschleunigeranlage KARA präsent – hier neben Führungen durch die beiden eigenen Beamline-Messplätze auch mit Experimenten zum Thema Licht für angehende Forscherinnen und Forscher.

Auch über die Arbeiten zur Geoenergie am INE konnten sich die Besucherinnen und Besucher ausführlich informieren. In diesem Zusammenhang wurde die neue Versuchsanlage RockBlockEx vorgestellt, die zur Durchführung von hydraulischen Experimenten an Gesteinsformationen im Labormaßstab (cm-Skala) dient. Hierbei kann die interaktiv steuerbare Animation eines Felsblocks mit seinen internen Brüchen und Strukturen auf einem großformatigem (85“) 3D-Monitor visualisiert werden.

Auch für unsere kleinen Besucherinnen und Besucher gab es ein umfangreiches Programm mit Riesenseifenblasen, Helium-Ballons und selbsthergestellter Knete.

Former INE postdoc Nikki DiBlasi - now at Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA - wins the RSC Advances  Outstanding Student Paper Award 2022 in the Inorganic Chemistry category for her work „Pu(III) and Cm(III) in the presence of EDTA: aqueous speciation, redox behavior, and the impact of Ca(II)“ conducted at KIT, recently published in „RSC Advances, Royal Society of Chemistry“.

DOI : 10.1039/d1ra09010k

Bianca Schacherl has received the "Young Investigator Award” at the International Symposium on Trends in Radiopharmaceuticals (ISTR-2023) - organized by IAEA and held in Vienna, Austria, 17–21 April 2023. The poster contribution "Toward Understanding ²²⁵Ac³⁺ Radionuclide Bonding Properties within Radiopharmaceuticals: The Study of La³⁺ Homologues" was honored by the Technical Programme Committee of the Symposium headed by Ms. Najat Mokhtar, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications.

INE PhD student Justice Nwade has been awarded a grant to attend the third edition of the Nuclear Corrosion Summer School (NuCoSS-23), co-organized by the European Federation of Corrosion (EFC), WP4 on Nuclear Corrosion, and ZAG, the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute. The school will be held from 2 to 7 July
2023 at the Hotel Špik in the Slovenian alps.

Mr Nwade is doing his doctorate as part of the BMBF-funded NaMaSK project, which deals with the wet screening and magnetic separation of grain mixtures to minimize secondary waste during the dismantling of nuclear facilities. In his dissertation, the use of inhibitors with subsequent preparation of the grain mixtures is being tested to enable the cutting of ferritic steels, with a focus on protecting the steel particles from corrosion.

More information in the recent issue of the EFC newsletter.

Während der Ausstieg aus der Nutzung der Kernenergie in Deutschland für April 2023 vorgesehen ist, bleibt die Entsorgung des hochradioaktiven Materials eine langfristige Aufgabe, die auch zukünftige Generationen betreffen wird. Mit dem Standortauswahlgesetz (StandAG) gibt der Gesetzgeber die Rahmenbedingungen für das derzeit laufende Verfahren zur Standortauswahl für ein tiefengeologisches Lager in Deutschland vor. Ziel des Verfahrens ist es, für einen Zeitraum von einer Million Jahre bestmögliche Sicherheit zu gewährleisten.
Der Zeithorizont bis zu einem Verschluss des Tiefenlagers wird aller Voraussicht nach bis ins nächste Jahrhundert reichen. Aus dieser Langfristigkeit des Vorhabens, seiner hohen gesellschaftlichen Relevanz und der Forderung des Gesetzgebers nach einem lernenden Verfahren erwachsen besondere Anforderungen an die Gestaltung der  Forschungsprogramme und der wissenschaftlichen Forschungslandschaft.

Am Donnerstag, den 06.10. hielt die vom Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz (BMUV) neu berufene Entsorgungskommission (ESK) ihre konstituierende Sitzung am KIT ab. Die Sitzung fand am IBPT im KARA Gebäude statt. Als ESK-Vorsitzende wurde Frau Prof. Dr. Barbara Reichert (Uni Bonn) wieder berufen. Ebenso Frau Dr. Claudia Schauer (TÜV Süd) und Herr Prof. Dr. Horst Geckeis (KIT-INE) als Stellvertreter/in. Die ESK Mitglieder nutzten die Gelegenheit, sich über die Möglichkeiten der Nutzung von Synchrotronstrahlung im Rahmen der Forschung des KIT zur nuklearen Entsorgung zu informieren.

Die Forschungsinfrastruktur HOVER (Helmholtz Forschungs- und Versuchsplattform zur Entsorgung radioaktiver Abfälle und zum Rückbau kerntechnischer Anlagen) stellt einzigartige technische Großanlagen, radiochemische Laboratorien sowie Instrumentierung und Simulationswerkzeuge bereit, die zur Lösung offener Fragen im Zusammenhang mit dem Rückbau kerntechnischer Anlagen und der Entsorgung radioaktiver Abfälle im Rahmen nationaler und internationaler wissenschaftlicher Kooperationen eingesetzt werden können. Am KIT-INE wurde im Frühjahr 2022 mit der Inbetriebnahme von zwei hochempfindlichen Instrumenten zur Elektronenmikroskopie bzw. Röntgen-Mikrotomographie im neu eingerichteten „HOVER-Labor“ ein wesentlicher Meilenstein bei der Umsetzung des Projekts erzielt. Ein nahtloser Workflow der vom Hersteller Zeiss bzw. Zeiss/Xradia entwickelten Mikroskope ermöglicht es u.a., Materialeigenschaften wie die Zusammensetzung aus unterschiedlichen Mineralphasen oder die Porenstruktur von endlagerrelevanten „Wirtsgesteinen“ über mehrere Größenskalen – vom Dezimeter- in den Sub-Mikrometerbereich – abzubilden. Diese Informationen bilden eine wichtige Basis zur Simulation von möglichen Ausbreitungspfaden von Radionukliden im Nah- bzw. Fernfeld eines Endlagers und stellen somit ein wichtiges Auswahlkriterium bei der anstehenden Standortsuche dar.

The ternary neptunium(V) hydroxides Na0.5[NpO₂(OH)_1.5]·0.5H₂O and Na[NpO₂(OH)₂] were synthesized in aqueous NaOH solutions, and their crystal structures were determined to be monoclinic, P2₁, and orthorhombic, P2₁2₁2₁, respectively. A comprehensive chemical and thermodynamic model of the Np(V) behavior in NaCl−NaOH solutions was evaluated by combining the detailed structural  information with results from systematic solubility investigations. The results reveal a great stability of both Na−Np(V)−OH solid phases that significantly enhances the predominance field of the entire Np(V) redox state to high pH_m values.

https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c03479

Im Rahmen einer umfangreichen Besichtigungstour zur Energieforschung am KIT hat Herr MdB Harald Ebner, Vorsitzender des Ausschusses für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz des Bundestages in Berlin, dem Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung (KIT-INE) auf dem Campus Nord einen Besuch abgestattet. Herr Ebner wurde nach einer Begrüßung durch den Bereichsleiter 3 des KIT, Herrn Prof. h.c. Dr.-Ing. Joachim Knebel, den Sprecher des Programms Nukleare Entsorgung, Sicherheit und Strahlenforschung (NUSAFE) am KIT, Herrn Dr. Walter Tromm, sowie den Institutsleiter des INE, Herrn Prof. Horst Geckeis, im Foyer des INE zu einer Besichtigung des Kontrollbereichs begleitet. An drei ausgewählten Stationen – der Abgeschirmten Boxenlinie („heiße Zellen“), dem sog. „HOVER“-Labor und dem Actiniden-Labor wurden Herrn Ebner von Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeitern des INE wesentliche Aspekte der anwendungsorientierten Grundlagenforschung des Instituts zur Langzeitsicherheit hochradioaktiver Abfälle aus der nuklearen Energieerzeugung vorgestellt. Hierbei konnte in der Abfolge der besichtigten Labore – von  experimentellen Untersuchungen zum Verhalten hochradioaktiver Abfallformen unter Zwischen- und Endlagerbedingungen über die Erforschung der möglichen Ausbreitung beziehungsweise Rückhaltung radioaktiver Isotope (Actiniden, Spalt- und Aktivierungsprodukte) in den untersuchten Wirtsgesteinsformationen eines nuklearen Endlagers bis zur Bestimmung von Löslichkeitsprozessen unterschiedlichster Radionuklid-„Spezies“ in der Umwelt – die Grundlagen für das wissenschaftsbasierte Standortauswahlverfahren in Deutschland demonstriert werden. Mit seiner einzigartigen Forschungsinfrastruktur zur Untersuchung der Langzeitsicherheit hochradioaktiver Abfälle trägt das INE entscheidend zur Bewältigung dieser hochkomplexen Aufgabe im Rahmen der gesellschaftlichen Vorsorgeforschung in Deutschland bei.

In-depth understanding of the bonding characteristics of the lanthanide ions in contemporary lanthanide-based materials is mandatory for tailoring their properties for novel applications. Here, the authors elaborate on open questions regarding the bonding situation in mainly molecular lanthanide (4f) compounds, where, as compared to their actinide (5f) analogs in which covalency of the bonds is a common feature, this is still under discussion for the 4f compounds.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-022-00630-6

Im Rahmen der "Helmholtz Klimainitiative" (https://netto-null.org/) hat die AG Geoenergie des INE ein Konzept zur klimaneutralen Wärmeversorgung des KIT-Campus Nord erarbeitet. Das Konzept beinhaltet verschiedene Tiefbohrungen zur Wärmegewinnung aus dem tiefen Untergrund und zur Speicherung der Überschusswärme, die im Sommer nicht benötigt wird. In einem Dialogartikel (https://atlas.netto-null.org/contribution/110), der auf der Helmholtz Dialog Konferenz am 17.11.2021 in Berlin veröffentlicht wurde, erklärt Prof. Eva Schill dem Präsidenten des KIT das Konzept. Zu weiteren Aspekten der "Klimaneutralen Stadt Karlsruhe" wurde das am INE koordinierte Projekt "GECKO" (https://www.gecko-geothermie.de/) vorgestellt und mit der Bürgermeisterin der Stadt Karlsruhe, Frau Lisbach, auf dem Podium diskutiert.

Relativistic Multiconfigurational Ab Initio Calculation of Uranyl 3d4f Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering
Robert Polly,∗ Bianca Schacherl, Jörg Rothe, and Tonya Vitova

online published in Inorg. Chem.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02364

We show that the protocol based on relativistic multiconfigurational ab initio calculations,
which is nowadays applied as a standard tool to study X-ray spectra of transition metal complexes can be extended to actinide compounds.
The excellent agreement with the measurements shows that the approach using the
RASSCF/RASPT2 methods followed by the inclusion of SOC is applicable to the
accurate calculation of 3 d4f RIXS maps and reproduces the multiplet structure of
the uranyl spectra very well.

Im Jahr 2020 wurde das Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung (INE) auf dem Campus Nord des KIT 40 Jahre alt. Die am INE durchgeführte radio-, geochemische und materialwissenschaftliche Grundlagenforschung betrachtet die Sicherheit von Konzepten für ein zukünftiges untertägiges Endlager für hochradioaktive Abfallstoffe aus der Kernenergie-Nutzung in Deutschland. Hinzu kommen in jüngerer Zeit Forschungsarbeiten zum mittelfristigen Verhalten von bestrahlten Brennelementen während ihrer Zwischenlagerung bis zu einer endgültigen Verbringung in ein Tieflager – hiermit ist nach Stand des derzeitigen Standortauswahlverfahrens kaum vor Mitte des Jahrhunderts zu rechnen – sowie zur geothermischen Energiegewinnung und zum Rückbau kerntechnischer Anlagen.

Die nukleare Sicherheitsforschung auf dem Campus Nord reicht bis in die Anfangszeit des Forschungsstandortes im Hardtwald bei Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen zurück. Eine erste Studiengruppe zur Erforschung der Möglichkeiten zur Tieflagerung nuklearer Abfälle wurde bereits 1964 von der damaligen KIT-Vorgängerorganisation Gesellschaft für Kernforschung mbH ins Leben gerufen. Im Jahr 1974 erfolgte die Abtrennung der wissenschaftlichen Abteilung „Behandlung radioaktiver Abfälle“ (ABRA) von der Abteilung Dekontaminationsbetriebe (heute KTE Karlsruhe) am mittlerweile Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe (KfK) genannten KIT-Vorgänger. Hieraus ging das 1980 zunächst als „Institut für Nukleare Entsorgungstechnik“ gegründete INE hervor, dessen Name zur Zeit der Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH (FZK) in „Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung“ abgekürzt wurde. Hiermit trug man der zunehmend grundlagenorientierten Forschung mit dem Fokus auf ein molekulares Prozessverständnis bei der Konzeptionierung eines Endlagers Rechnung. Weitere Informationen zur Historie der Endlagersicherheitsforschung am KIT: B. Kienzler, 50 Jahre Forschungs- und Entwicklungsarbeiten zur Endlagerung im KIT, KIT Scientific Reports Nr. 7723, DOI: 10.5445/KSP/1000059829).

Zum 40-jährigen Bestehen des INE kamen – Corona-bedingt mit einem Jahr Verspätung – am 11. Oktober 2021 in der Aula des Fortbildungszentrums für Technik & Umwelt auf dem Campus Nord des KIT Fachleute und Gäste zu einem Festkolloquium zusammen. Zu den Teilnehmern gehörten u. a. Vertreter*innen der an der Endlagersicherheitsforschung beteiligten HGF-Zentren (HZDR, FZJ, UFZ, GFZ  und KIT), des  Helmholtz-Programms NUSAFE, der Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung (BGE) als Vorhabensträgerin des Standortauswahlverfahrens, der nationalen Aufsichtsbehörde, dem Bundesamt für die Sicherheit der nuklearen Entsorgung BASE, der zuständigen Bundes- und Landesministerien, des Nationalen Begleitgremiums (NBG) für die Endlagerstandortsuche und Vertreter*innen europäischer Endlagerforschungsprogramme. Eröffnet wurde die Veranstaltung durch ein Grußwort des KIT Präsidenten Prof. Dr. Holger Hanselka sowie eine Videobotschaft des HGF-Präsidenten Prof. Dr. Otmar Wiestler.

On 7.10.2021 Johannes Käufl (Institute for Applied Geosciences) installed the first test devices for vibration measurements on the INE site. In the next two weeks, these will be tested for their comparability and determine a first impression about the background noise caused by traffic and the like.

In the long term, these devices will be used for a Citizen Science project during the drilling and testing phase at DeepStor to scientifically classify vibrations during this time.

DeepStor is a planned Helmholtz research infrastructure and aims at advanced investigation on high-temperature heat storage in the water-saturated marginal zone of hydrocarbon reservoirs. DeepStor is intended to provide detailed characterization of the subsurface, evaluation of the reservoir's structural makeup and hydraulic and hydrochemical boundary conditions, and short- and long-term testing of the reservoir's hydraulic and thermal performance. In the long term, DeepStor can be included in a future climate-neutral supply of the KIT Campus North.

.

Das INE stellte sich am 18. September auf dem Stand des KIT vor dem Stuttgarter Opernhaus anlässlich der „Energiewendetage 2021“ den Fragen der interessierten Öffentlichkeit. Erstmalig wurde neben der Geothermie-Forschung (Vorstellung des Projekts GECKO zur partizipativen Entwicklung von Empfehlungen für ein Konzept zur Nutzung der Geothermie am KIT-Campus Nord) auch die INE-Forschung zur Sicherheit eines zukünftigen Endlagers für hochradioaktive Abfallstoffe aus der nuklearen Stromerzeugung thematisiert. Den meisten Besucherinnen und Besuchern war in diesem Zusammenhang bekannt, dass der letzte Leistungsreaktor in Deutschland im kommenden Jahr vom Netz genommen und die nukleare Stromerzeugung damit endgültig beendet wird. Dass die Suche nach einem geeigneten Endlagerstandort, der Bau der notwendigen Anlagen zur Einlagerung und langfristigen Abschirmung der nuklearen Abfälle und ihre endgültige untertägige Verbringung noch Jahrzehnte in Anspruch nehmen werden, ist dagegen häufig in den Hintergrund der öffentlichen Diskussion getreten. Somit bleibt die Frage der sicheren nuklearen Entsorgung bis auf weiteres ein integraler Bestandteil der deutschen Energiewende – voraussichtlich mit Forschungsbedarf weit über die Mitte des Jahrhunderts hinaus.

A combination of wet-chemistry experiments (measurements of pH, E_h, and [Tc]) and advanced spectroscopic (K- and L₃-edge XAFS) and quantum chemistry techniques (relativistic multireference ab initio calculations) confirms the formation of a very stable Tc(V)−gluconate complex under anoxic conditions. For the first time, tender X-ray Tc L₃-edge XANES measurements of Tc species in liquid media are reported, clearly outperforming conventional K-edge spectroscopy as a tool to differentiate Tc oxidation states and coordination environments.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c01487

The retention of beryllium in cementitious systems was successfully investigated within the CEBAMA EU project and recently published in Chemosphere

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131094

The first annual event of the European Joined Programme on Radioactive Waste Management (EURAD) was held as a virtual meeting from March 16^th to March 18^th, 2021. The meeting allowed the 446 participants to share their work achieved in the last two years. As part of the cutting-edge science highlighted from across all EURAD work packages, outstanding PhD topics nominated for each WP were presented. In this context, Rosa Ester Guidone (EMPA and KIT-CORI) and Bianca Schacherl (KIT-FUTURE), both associated with KIT-INE, introduced their work on sorption of organics on hydrated cement paste and Np interaction with Fe containing mineral phases, respectively. See the recent EURAD Newsletter for more information.

Blick hinter die Kulissen der Atommüll-Entsorgungsforschung: Wie lassen sich einige der langlebigsten und gefährlichsten Stoffe unseres Zeitalters in den Griff bekommen? Die Herausforderung für die Wissenschaft ist keine geringere als Vorhersagen für die Ewigkeit zu treffen. Dafür bieten die Forschenden einiges an Technik auf.

Die „Xenius“- Moderatorinnen Dörthe Eickelberg und Emilie Langlade werfen einen Blick hinter die Kulissen der Atommüll-Entsorgungsforschung. Es geht um eine existenzielle Frage für uns und für die nächsten Generationen: Wie lassen sich einige der langlebigsten und gefährlichsten Stoffe unseres Zeitalters in den Griff bekommen? Am Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung des Karlsruher Instituts für Technologie (KIT-INE) sind rund 100 Mitarbeitende damit beschäftigt, das Verhalten des Atommülls und der Stoffe, die er freisetzt, besser zu verstehen. Die Herausforderung ist keine geringere als Vorhersagen für die Ewigkeit zu treffen. Dafür bieten die Forschenden einiges an Technik auf. Dörthe Eickelberg begleitet ein Auslaugexperiment. Es findet unter anderem in den sogenannten heißen Zellen des Instituts statt: in fest abgeschlossenen Kammern, in denen sich beobachten, beproben und vermessen lässt, wie sich etwa Plutonium, Cäsium oder Jod aus den Brennelementen verhalten. Weitere schwierige Vorhersagen müssen die Forscherinnen und Forscher für den hochradioaktiven Atommüll in den deutschen Zwischenlagern treffen. Er muss dort deutlich länger bleiben als geplant, weil die Endlagersuche und Vorbereitung in Deutschland länger dauern als vorhergesehen. Die Wissenschaftler müssen sich dabei mit allgemeinen bis hin zu spezifischen Fragen auseinandersetzen: Wie verhält sich der hochradioaktive Atommüll? Welche Risiken entstehen bei seiner endgültigen Einlagerung? Das wird durch spezielle Experimente getestet und gemessen – die „Xenius“-Moderatorinnen Emilie und Dörthe sind dabei.

Verfügbar vom 08/02/2021 bis 08/05/2021

Link zur Videobeitrag in der ARTE-Mediathek

Das Ende der Atomkraft in Deutschland ist nah, doch ihr strahlendes Erbe bleibt. Ein Endlager ist noch nicht in Sicht. Stattdessen bringen Castor-Transporte die hochradioaktiven Abfälle in Zwischenlager. Ob sie dort wirklich sicher sind, ist umstritten. Der Film besucht das südhessische Zwischenlager Biblis, begleitet eine Anti-Castor-Demonstration und lässt Fachleute zu Wort kommen. Während eine Kernkraft-Befürworterin den Atomausstieg am liebsten rückgängig machen würde, gehen Forscher am Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung in Karlsruhe der Frage nach, wie wir unseren gefährlichen Atommüll - heute und in Zukunft - sicher verwahren können.

Link zum Reportage in der ARD-Mediathek

LookKIT magazine features INE at the 40th anniversary of the institute's foundation (Issue #2/2020, p. 58 ff., July 2020)

Am Mittwoch, 20.11.2019, hatten wir Besuch von zwei Journalisten von ARTE TV im INE. Mit Filmaufnahmen und Interviews widmeten sie sich dem Thema „Know-how Erhalt in der Kerntechnik“. Der Beitrag „Atomenergie: Fehlt bald das Know-How?“ wurde im ARTE Journal am Samstag, 23.11.2019 gesendet und kann unter dem Link

https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/093961-000-A/atomenergie-fehlt-bald-das-know-how/

angeschaut werden.

Der Inhalt lässt sich kurz zusammenfassen:

In drei Jahren sollen die letzten Atomkraftwerke in Deutschland abgeschaltet werden. Begleitet werden muss dieser Prozess von Atomforschern. Doch dem Wissenschaftszweig geht der akademische Nachwuchs aus: Zu schlecht ist der Ruf, zu knapp das Geld.

A delegation led by Prof. Yuying Huang, director of the materials and energy sciences division at the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute and deputy chief engineer of the SSRF Phase II upgrade project, has visited the Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE) and the Karlsruhe Research Accelerator KARA (operated by KIT-IBPT). The SSRF is a third-generation synchrotron radiation source and currently the biggest platform for scientific research and technology development in China. An ambitious upgrade program for construction of additional state-of-the-art beamlines has been approved by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and is currently implemented. The SSRF Phase II upgrade includes a multi-purpose Radioactive Materials Beamline (RMB). The beamline optic layout resembles that realized at the high energy / high flux wiggler beamline CAT-ACT operated by INE and IKFT/ITCP at KARA, encompassing capabilities for high resolution X-ray emission spectroscopy. The delegation from Shanghai was especially interested in sample handling and containment procedures implemented at the INE-Beamline and CAT-ACT, allowing the routinely investigation of radioactive samples at the KIT synchrotron facility by advanced X-ray techniques.

On the 25th and 26th of June 2019 the 6th workshop on "Actinide Brine Chemistry in a Salt-based Repository - ABC-Salt (VI)" was held at the ACHAT Plaza Hotel in Karlsruhe, Germany. Organized by INE in collaboration with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the workshop addressed topics such as ongoing repository projects in salt rock, the geochemistry in salt formations, the influence of microbial effects, modern experimental techniques, actinide chemistry in highly saline solutions, and thermodynamic modeling or corresponding database projects. Approximately 50 participants from 10 different nations (USA, Australia, Korea, Japan, Canada, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, France and Germany) met in Karlsruhe. The aim of the workshop was to present recent work and latest scientific results to the international community of specialists and to conceive concepts for future developments in the context of aquatic geochemistry and radiochemistry in highly saline solutions.

The 3rd Workshop on "High Temperature Aqueous Chemistry - HiTAC (III)" took place on June 27, 2019, immediately following the ABC-Salt meeting. Repositories designed for the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste will experience significantly higher temperatures over hundreds of years after waste emplacement due to the ongoing release of decay heat. Therefore, the correct assessment of the influence of higher temperatures on the geo- and actinide chemistry in repository-relevant aquatic systems is of great importance. During the HiTAC workshop about 40 participants from 9 different countries met in Karlsruhe to present and discuss the current knowledge in this field. The focus of the workshop was on the aquatic geochemistry and the chemical behavior of radionuclides in repository-relevant systems at higher temperatures.

The collaborative project Cement-based materials, properties, evolution, barrier functions (CEBAMA) is an innovation action granted by the European Commission (EC), within the HORIZON2020 programme, contributing to the development of options for the safe management of radioactive waste. The project specially supports the implementation-oriented research for of the first-of-the-kind geological repositories, in line with the Implementing Geological Disposal – Technology Platform (IGD-TP) (https://igdtp.eu/) vision of having the first geological disposal facilities operating safely in Europe by 2025. The 4‑year project started the 1st of June 2015 and lasted until 31^st May 2019. It was carried out by a consortium of 27 partners consisting of large Research Institutions, Universities, one Technical and Scientific Support organization (TSO), and one small-medium enterprise (SME) from 9 EURATOM Signatory States, Switzerland and Japan. IGD-TP and National Waste Management Organizations supported CEBAMA, for instance by co-developing the work plan, participating in the End-User Group, granting co-funding to some beneficiaries, and providing for knowledge and information transfer.

In view of the implementation and safe future operation of nuclear waste repositories, remaining key technical and scientific topics of common interest are addressed. One of these issues is related to the better understanding of cement-based materials properties which are key components in the multi-barrier system of a nuclear waste repository. For example, cementitious materials are used to encapsulate the nuclear waste, and are foreseen as liners and structural components as well as sealing materials. For this reason, the materials and their behaviour has to be addressed in the Safety Case for each repository.

The overall strategic objective of CEBAMA was to support the implementation of geological disposal by significantly improving the knowledge base for the Safety Case for European repository concepts. The ambition of this project was the development of a comprehensive model for predicting the transport characteristics such as porosity, permeability and diffusion parameters of cement-based materials in contact with the engineered and natural barriers of repositories in crystalline and argillaceous host rocks. Dedicated studies on radionuclide retention processes and on the impact of chemical alterations on these processes were part of this advanced approach.

R&D in CEBAMA was largely independent of specific disposal concepts and addressed different types of host rocks, as well as bentonite. CEBAMA did not focus on one specific cementitious material but studied a variety of representative cement-based materials for Nuclear Waste Storage in order to provide insight on general processes and phenomena which can then be transferred to different applications and national and international projects.

Specific objectives and research activities of CEBAMA are summarized as follows:

• Experimental studies analysing interface processes between cement-based materials and host rocks (crystalline rock, Boom Clay, Opalinus Clay (OPA), Callovo-Oxfordian (COX), Toarcian mudstone, Borrowdale Volcanic Group) or bentonite backfill, and assessing the impact on physical properties.
• Investigation of radionuclide retention and migration processes in high pH concrete environments, focusing on radionuclides which have high priority from the scientific and applied perspective.
• Improved validity of numerical models to predict changes in transport processes as a result of chemical degradation, including advanced data interpretation and process modelling.

More information of the project, including key deliverables and a list of publications is available at the project website (www.cebama.eu).

Fifteen Years of Radionuclide Research at the KIT Synchrotron Light Source

Synchrotron radiation based speciation techniques have become key methods in basic and applied radionuclide research. In the context of Germany’s nuclear energy phase-out and “energy transition” to renewable resources, this development is primarily driven by the need to secure molecular-scale understanding of (geo-)chemical processes determining the mobility of safety relevant radionuclides (long-lived actinides, fission and activation products generated during nuclear reactor operation), possibly released from a projected disposal site for highly active, heat-producing nuclear waste. About 15 years ago, construction of the INE-Beamline for actinide science at the ANKA light source (now the KArlsruhe Research Accelerator KARA) commenced and marked the beginning of synchrotron radiation based radionuclide research at KIT. The INE-Beamline and ACT station at the CAT-ACT beamline belong to the exclusive club of a few synchrotron beamline facilities in the world - mostly located in Europe - dedicated to the investigation of highly radioactive materials in the context of the nuclear waste disposal safety case as well as basic and applied actinide/radionuclide research. Since commissioning of the INE-Beamline in 2005, capabilities for synchrotron-based radionuclide and actinide sciences at KIT have been continuously expanded, driven by KIT or HGF in-house research programs and by external user needs. A recent publication the Geosciences special open access issue on “The Development and Use of Synchrotron Radiation Techniques for the Geological Disposal of Radioactive Wastes” (Geosciences 2019, 9, 91; doi:10.3390/geosciences9020091) summarizes the past 15 years of XAFS-based radionuclide research at KIT and highlights some examples for recent or ongoing research at the local synchrotron source.

The image depict the locations of INE and CAT-ACT beamlines with their experimental hutches dedicated for the investigation of radioactive materials at the east side of the KARA accelerator building.

Bianca Schacherl mit dem „Women in Nuclear Germany“ - Preis für 2018 ausgezeichnet

Die deutsche Sektion der international tätigen Organisation „Women in Nuclear“ (WiN Germany) hat ihren Jahrespreis 2018 an die derzeit am KIT im Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung (INE) promovierende Nachwuchswissenschaftlerin Bianca Schacher vergeben. Frau Schacherl hat die Jury mit ihrer Master-Arbeit mit dem Titel "Structural investigation of Np interacted with illite by HR-XANES and EXAFS” beeindruckt.

Women in Nuclear ist eine weltweite Organisation von Frauen, die in den unterschiedlichsten Berufsfeldern mit dem Thema Kernenergie und Strahlenschutz – auch in der Medizin – in Berührung kommen und sich zum Ziel gesetzt haben, die Öffentlichkeit über diese Themen zu informieren. WiN Global hat bisher über 25.000 Mitglieder in 107 Ländern. Die deutsche Sektion wurde 2008 als gemeinnütziger Verein gegründet.

Das Foto zeigt die Preisübergabe an Bianca Schacherl durch Jutta Jené, Präsidentin von  WiN Germany.

The role of the 5f valence orbitals of early actinides in chemical bonding
 

T. Vitova, I. Pidchenko, D. Fellhauer, P. S. Bagus, Y. Joly, T. Prüßmann, S. Bahl, E. Gonzalez-Robles, J. Rothe, M. Altmaier, M. A. Denecke, H. Geckeis

Nature Communications 8, 16053 (2017), doi:10.1038/ncomms16053

Link to the article: http://rdcu.be/tYav

Figure. A schematic view of the AnO₂²⁺ molecules (An = U, Np or Pu) investigated with An M_4,5 edge HR-XANES/RIXS. From U to Pu the electronic population of the An 5f states increases (5f⁰ > 5f¹ > 5f²) but their sensitivity to changing bonding partners decreases. The PuO₂²⁺ RIXS map depicts an example of an energy shift correlated with rising localization of the An 5f states (U < Np < Pu) http://rdcu.be/tYav.

One of the long standing debates in actinide chemistry is the level of localization and participation of the actinide 5f valence orbitals in covalent bonds across the actinide series. Researchers from the Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE), KIT illuminate the role of the 5f valence orbitals of uranium, neptunium and plutonium in chemical bonding using advanced spectroscopy techniques: actinide M_4,5 HR-XANES and 3d4f RIXS applied at the beamline for actinide research (INE-Beamline) at the ANKA synchrotron radiation facility, KIT. The experimental results are supported by theoretical calculations performed by scientist from the University of Nord Texas, USA and CNRS, France. Results reveal that the 5f orbitals are active in the chemical bonding for uranium and neptunium, shown by significant variations in the level of their localization evidenced in the spectra. In contrast, the 5f orbitals of plutonium appear localized and surprisingly insensitive to different bonding environments. This report of using relative energy differences between the 5fd/f and 5fp^*/5fs^*  orbitals as a qualitative measure of overlap-driven actinyl bond covalency will spark activity, and extend to numerous applications of RIXS and HR-XANES to gain new insights into the electronic structures of the actinide elements.

Three-dimensional printing of transparent fused silica glass

Autoren: F. Kotz, K. Arnold, W. Bauer, D. Schild, N. Keller, K. Sachsenheimer, T.M. Nargang, C. Richter, D. Helmer, B.E. Rapp

Doi: 10.1038/nature22061

URL: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v544/n7650/full/nature22061.html

Glass is one of the most important high-performance materials used for scientific research, in industry and in society, mainly owing to its unmatched optical transparency, outstanding mechanical, chemical and thermal resistance as well as its thermal and electrical insulating

properties. However, glasses and especially high-purity glasses such as fused silica glass are notoriously difficult to shape, requiring high-temperature melting and casting processes for macroscopic objects or hazardous chemicals for microscopic features. These drawbacks have made glasses inaccessible to modern manufacturing technologies such as three-dimensional printing (3D printing). Using a casting nanocomposite, here we create transparent fused silica glass components using stereolithography 3D printers at resolutions of a few tens of micrometres. The process uses a photocurable silica nanocomposite that is 3D printed and converted to high-quality fused silica glass via heat treatment. The printed fused silica glass is non-porous, with the optical transparency of commercial fused silica glass, and has a smooth surface with a roughness of a few nanometres. By doping with metal salts, coloured glasses can be created. This work widens the choice of materials for 3D printing, enabling the creation of arbitrary macro- and microstructures in fused silica glass for many applications in both industry and academia.

Author: B. Kienzler

KIT Scientific Publishing, KIT SR 7723, DOI: 10.5445/KSP/1000059829
ISBN: 978-3-7315-0586-0

URL: https://doi.org/10.5445/KSP/1000059829

Research and development for safe disposal of radioactive wastes at the Nuclear Research Center Karlsruhe in the Institute of Nuclear Waste Disposal is presented. The political and societal boundary conditions for this R&D are referred to. The past organizational forms and the most important research topics are addresses as well as the current research topics including the involvement of the institute in training and education or consultation services.

Authors: B. Kienzler, Ch. Borkel, V. Metz, M. Schlieker.

KIT Scientific Publishing: KIT-SR 7721, DOI: 10.5445/KSP/1000058276,
ISBN: 978-3-7315-0576-1.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5445/KSP/1000058276

Radioactive wastes originated from the pilot reprocessing plant WAK in Karlsruhe have been disposed of in the Asse II salt mine. A significant part of these wastes consisted of cemented NaNO₃ solutions. With respect to the long-term behavior of these wastes, leaching experiments with simulated full scale samples in relevant salt solutions were performed lasting until 2013. The results presented in this report cover the evolution of the solutions and the chemical and mineralogical characterization of the solids including radionuclides and waste components, and the paragenesis of solid phases (corrosion products).

Zum Abschluss seines eintägigen Besuchs des KIT am 24. November 2016 informierte sich der französische Botschaftsrat für Forschung und Technologie, Herr Jean-Jacques Pierrat, über aktuelle Projekte an der Synchrotronstrahlungsquelle ANKA auf dem Campus Nord. Koordiniert wurde das Besichtigungsprogramm durch Manuella Werp - seit kurzem verantwortlich für French-German Relations in der Dienstleistungseinheit International Affairs (INTL). Herr Pierrat wurde im Ost-Anbau der ANKA-Halle durch Michael Nasse und Robert Ruprecht vom Institut für Beschleunigerphysik und -technologie (IBPT) begrüßt, die ihm zunächst anhand des dort aufgestellten Modells der ANKA-Beschleunigeranlage einen kurzen Überblick über ANKA, das betreibende Institut IBPT und die Einbindung in die Forschungslandschaft des KIT boten. Fortgesetzt wurde die Präsentation im Kontrollraum der 2016 erfolgreich in Betrieb genommenen neuen Strahlführung „CAT-ACT“, die in alternierend von den KIT-Instituten ITCP/IKFT sowie INE genutzten Messlaboren hochpräzise spektroskopische Untersuchen an aktiven Katalysatoren („CATalysis research“) bzw. hochradioaktiven Kernmaterialien („ACTinide research“) mittels intensivem Synchrotronlicht in einem weiten Energiebereich ermöglicht. Herr Nasse erläuterte zunächst die verschiedenen Aufgaben des IBPT, zu denen neben dem Betrieb des ANKA-Speicherrings als Synchrotronstrahlungsquelle auch die Entwicklung neuartiger Beschleunigersysteme wie der im Bau befindlichen Testanlage FLUTE und von Strahldiagnostik-Tools für Teilchenbeschleuniger gehört. Ein Alleinstellungsmerkmal besitzt ANKA mit dem Betrieb von mittlerweile zwei Messplätzen (INE-Beamline und ACT-Labor) zur Untersuchung der chemisch-physikalischen Strukturen hochradioaktiver Probensysteme mittels verschiedener röntgenspektroskopischer Verfahren. Das Forschungsprogramm des hierbei verantwortlichen Instituts für Nukleare Entsorgung (INE) und die Bedeutung der ANKA-Anlage für die Erforschung von Konzepten zur Behandlung und Endlagerung radioaktiver Abfälle wurde von Horst Geckeis, Leiter des INE, vorgestellt. Jörg Rothe erläuterte die Messmöglichkeiten an beiden Beamlines, deren besonderer Standortvorteil in der direkten Anbindung an die radiochemischen Labors des INE auf dem Campus Nord des KIT besteht. Zum Abschluss des Besuchs unterhielt sich Herr Pierrat noch kurz mit Wissenschaftlern des französischen CEA Cadarache (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives), das als externer Kooperationspartner regelmäßig die Messmöglichkeiten für radioaktive Probensysteme an ANKA nutzt.

Vom 26. - 28. September 2016 fand in Köln die von der Deutschen Arbeitsgemeinschaft Endlagerforschung (DAEF) veranstaltete 2. Konferenz „Key Topics in Deep Geological Disposal – Challenges of a Site Selection Process: Society – Procedures – Safety“ statt.

Die DAEF ist ein Zusammenschluss deutscher Einrichtungen (unter dem derzeitigen Vorsitz des KIT), deren Forschungsaktivitäten überwiegend im Bereich der Tiefenlagerung radioaktiver Abfälle liegen. Der Fokus der DAEF liegt auf der sicheren Entsorgung von radioaktivem Abfall und der stetigen Weiterentwicklung der damit verbundenen wissenschaftlichen und technischen Expertise unter Einbezug von sozioökonomischen Themen. Dazu gehören auch wissenschaftliche Fragestellungen im Hinblick auf ein Auswahlverfahren für einen Standort zur Tiefenlagerung.

Im Rahmen der Konferenz wurde anhand von Übersichtsvorträgen der aktuelle Kenntnisstand zu zentralen Aspekten der Endlagerforschung vorgestellt. Dabei wurden, wie auch im Rahmen der 1. DAEF-Konferenz, sozioökonomische und soziotechnische Themen einbezogen. Der Fokus der diesjährigen Konferenz lag auf der Arbeit der „Kommission Lagerung hoch radioaktiver Abfallstoffe“. Im Rahmen einer eigenen Session stellten ehemalige Mitglieder der Endlagerkommission ihre Arbeit vor. Die internationale Sichtweise wurde durch einen Schweizer Experten vorgestellt.

Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler aus verschiedenen Nationen präsentierten ihre eigenen Arbeiten ausführlich im Rahmen von Vorträgen und Posterbeiträgen. Erstmalig wurden die exzellenten Arbeiten der Nachwuchswissenschaftler durch die Vergabe von 3 Posterpreisen gewürdigt.

During the ISSP17 Conference (24-29.07.2016, Geneva, Switzerland), Dr. David Fellhauer of KIT-INE received the international Franzosini Award 2016 from Prof. C. Magalhaes. The Franzosini award is given to Dr. Fellhauer in view of his outstanding scientific work on actinide solubility and thermodynamics in aquatic systems relevant to nuclear waste disposal.

The Franzosini Award is given biannually by the IUPAC Subcommittee on Solubility and Equilibrium Data (SSED) to an excellent young scientists. The IUPAC SSED coordinates projects in the area of compilation and critical evaluation of published experimental data on the chemical solubility of well defined substances and other equilibrium systems.

Dr. Yalcintas was rewarded a Poster-Award for her work on „solubility of UO2(am,hyd) in alkaline carbonate solutions“ at the ISSP17 Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, by the local organiser Dr. Montserrat Filella. The work of Dr. Yalcinats on uranium(IV) chemistry and thermodynamics in aqueous solutions is integrated into the BMWi funded EDUKEM project. ISSP is an established bi-annual conference series organised by IUPAD SSED, aiming at discussing and promoting the study of solubility phenomena and related equilibrium processes.

The Royal Society of Chemistry awarded the prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry Becquerel medal to Prof. Dr. M.A. Denecke.

Prof. Denecke was senior scientist at the INE before she was appointed co-director of the Dalton Nuclear Institute at the University of Manchester.

Congratulations from the entire INE-team!

The latest edition of Dalton News is available here.

The 1^st Annual Workshop of the CEBAMA project was held on 11^th–13^th May 2016, in Barcelona, Spain, hosted by Amphos21. The workshop was well attended by 60 participants coming mainly from the Project Beneficiaries but also members of the CEBAMA End-User Group. The CP CEBAMA is coordinated by KIT-INE and addresses key issues of relevance for long term safety and key scientific questions related to the use of cement-based materials in nuclear waste disposal applications. The project is implemented by a consortium with 27 Beneficiaries from EURATOM Signatory States, Japan and Switzerland. National Waste Management Organizations contribute to the running project by participation in the End-User Group, by co-funding Beneficiaries, and provide for knowledge and information transfer. The 1^st Annual Workshop of the CEBAMA project aimed at providing a forum for discussion and dissemination of scientific and technical project results, preparing for periodic reporting and planning on future activities in CEBAMA.

With CEBAMA being 6 months into the experimental R&D programme at present, the 1^st Annual Workshop was organized as a cluster-meeting, integrating several different elements, i.e. reporting by Coordination Team, meetings within ExCom, exchange with EUG and meeting of the General Assembly. Parallel sessions of the three R&D oriented project workpackages (WPs) on the first day were used to discuss technical aspects related to the individual WPs and ensure good cooperation and exchange both within each WP, but also between WP1, WP2 and WP3. The key component of the workshop were the seven hours of scientific/technical oral presentations by the Beneficiaries from all WPs at the Plenary stage, focusing on presenting and disseminating first R&D results to the audience and discussing ongoing work. A separate poster session gave opportunity to present further R&D details and was a very productive forum for additional discussions and exchange among the participants.

A specific Topical Session with invited speakers entitled “Lessons learned from previous and current projects on cementitious barriers” gave good insight into related projects of interest to the CEBAMA consortium. Talks were given M. Vuorio (on behalf of J. Hansen) on “DOPAS PROJECT: Experiences and lessons learned 2012-2016”, N. Michau “Results, lessons learned and residual uncertainties from the ECOCLAY II project”, and U. Mäder and V. Cloet “CI Experiment: Cement-Clay-Interaction. 5-year evolution of cement-clay interfaces”.

About 30 S&T contributions prepared by the Beneficiaries based upon the presentations given at the Project Workshop are under review by WP leaders and the EUG. The S&T contributions and posters will be published in the 1^st Annual Workshop Proceedings, documenting and disseminating R&D performed in Cebama. The Proceedings will be published at KIT Scientific Publishing and are available at the CEBAMA Website (www.cebama.eu) later in 2016. Also available at the Project Website are the submitted Public Deliverables which can be readily downloaded and are a source of additional information on the R&D performed in CEBAMA.

The Issue No.1 of the CEBAMA Newsletter was published and distributed in February 2016 and is available at the Project Website or by using the following link.

It was decided at the Barcelona meeting that the 2^nd Annual Workshop of CEBAMA will be held in Finland on 3 days in the week of 15^th-19^th May 2017, hosted by VTT. The 2^nd Annual Project Workshop will again be open to interested external participants and will be announced via email, or at the CEBAMA and IGD-TP Websites.

For further information on the CEBAMA project please contact the Coordinator at marcus.altmaier∂kit.edu

The highly successful workshop was organized by EMPA, PSI and the University of Bern between May 22nd and 25th, 2016, in Murten, Switzerland, and was attended by over 100 international participants. The workshop series “Mechanisms and Modelling of Waste/ Cement Interactions” focuses on the chemical understanding and the thermodynamic modelling of the processes responsible for the stabilization of hazardous and radioactive wastes in cementitious systems.

Nese Cevirim received the poster prize for her work on “Redox Chemistry and Solubility of Uranium in Alkaline to Hyperalkaline NaCl/KCl Systems”. Based upon the studies, performed within her ongoing PhD which is integrated in the German BMWi funded EDUKEM project (02E11334C), a significantly improved description of uranium chemistry under the specific geochemical conditions expected for cementitious environments has been developed.

INE organized together with BGR and the Durham University a workshop entitled “Filling the gaps – from microscopic pore structures to transport properties in shales”. This workshop was initiated by the NEA-OECD “ClayClub”, the Clay Minerals Society, and the Euroclay conference series. The aim of the workshop was to give a current state-of-the-art of different spectroscopy and microscopy methods to better understand microscopic pore structures and transport properties in shales. It addressed new developments in the field in order to address the above mentioned knowledge gaps in clay minerals and clay rich shales. The workshop also provided an excellent opportunity for exchange of knowledge with research communities concerned with the safe long-term management of radioactive waste within argillaceous sediments, and the shale gas and oil exploration. The summary of this workshop including eighteen peer reviewed contributions is now available as open access publication under:

http://www.clays.org/OTHER%20CMS%20PUBLICATIONS/wrksh21.htm

Completing the very successful 16^th International Conference on X-ray Absorption Fine Structure with more than 550 participants held at KIT last year, the conference proceedings have just been published online. Based on XAFS16 keynotes, contributed talks, poster presentations and complementary workshops, the conference proceedings include 150 contributions grouped into nine scientific fields as well as results of the satellite meeting “Data acquisition, treatment, storage - quality assurance in XAFS spectroscopy” held at DESY in Hamburg. KIT with its institutes ANKA (now IBPT), IPS, INE and ITCP/IKFT as well as DESY helped creating an outstanding collection of state-of-the-art developments and applications in X-ray absorption spectroscopy and related techniques.
Volume 712 of the Journal of Physics: Conference Series has been chosen to publish all contributions to the conference and related workshops and satellite meetings. All manuscripts have been rigorously reviewed and are available online free of charge in perpetuity.

The volume covers all aspects of X-ray absorption spectroscopy, from the latest theoretical developments to instrumentation and applications. X-ray absorption techniques are applied for the benefit of an extraordinarily broad range of applications: in-situ characterization of catalytic reaction processes, environmental contaminant and radionuclide speciation, novel developments in medical applications and forensic analysis of cultural and historical objects – to name just a few. Results from the German synchrotron radiation facilities including KIT-ANKA are well represented in all topics.

J-D Grunwaldt, M Hagelstein and J Rothe, "16th International Conference on X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS16)," IOP Publishing, Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 712 (2016) 011001

Dr. Gopala Krishna Darbha was as a senior researcher at KIT-INE for five years (2011-2016) in the Geochemistry division where his main focus was to understand the transport of colloid(nanoparticles)-aided-contaminant transport in the subsurface environment. He has been recently awarded the prestigious “Ramanujan Fellowship” by the Department of Science and Technology, India. The fellowship is scientist-specific and very selective. It is aimed to attract highly skilled and brilliant researchers (Indian Nationals) working overseas in various cutting edge disciplines of Science & Technology, by providing them an attractive avenue to pursue their R&D interests in Indian institutions. For the 2016 year, only Dr. Darbha has been awarded the Ramanujan Fellowship in the Earth & Atmospheric Sciences division.

KIT-INE congratulates him for his achievement wishing him all the best for his future endeavors and is looking forward for a successful collaboration between Germany and India to foster the sharing of knowledge in the field of science and technology.

Materials Science and Engineering Department students from the French Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Nancy visit ANKA (11 March 2016)

A group of 25 undergraduate students enrolled at the Materials Science and Engineering Department of the French elite university Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Nancy in Karlsruhe’s sister city took the opportunity to visit the KIT synchrotron radiation facility ANKA on the way back home from a one week excursion to several German research institutions. The group was accompanied by three supervisors, headed by Dr. Marc Ponçot, assistant professor at the Ecole des Mines and the Université de Lorraine in Nancy. A half day scientific program including lectures and an extended tour of the ANKA accelerator facilities, beamlines and laboratories was organized by scientists from the KIT Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE) and Institute for Accelerator Physics and Technology (IBPT), which is operating the ANKA storage ring and developing accelerator technologies for a future generation of synchrotron light sources. After a short introduction into KIT and its research portfolio, the little symposium on synchrotron technology and applications was opened by Patrick Schönfeldt, PhD student at IBPT, on “Accelerator Research at KIT-IBPT and ANKA”,  followed by two INE contributions - an “Introduction to X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy” by Jörg Rothe and a “XAS investigation of the retention of radionuclides by secondary phases” by Nicolas Finck. The latter lecture was highlighting the important role of synchrotron based XAS techniques to understand the behavior of radionuclides in a future nuclear waste repository. The last presentation was given by Martin Börner from the Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT), an “Introduction to X-ray lithography with synchrotron radiation”. In this talk it was emphasized that the need to have all steps of the LIGA microfabrication technology - where IMT and its spin off companies are currently market leaders - on site at Campus North was the original motivation to establish the ANKA light source in Karlsruhe. Following this overview on different research fields at KIT which are strongly depending on the bright X-rays delivered by ANKA, an extended tour of the facility gave the opportunity for discussions with experts at beamlines and associated laboratories. The visit of the French guests ended with a joint lunch in the Campus North canteen.

Special thanks to Bärbel Krause (IBPT) and Tonya Vitova (INE) who supported the ANKA tour.

(J. Rothe, 06 May 2016)

KIT- INE researcher visited KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) within the 1^st Annual BioFeRad project (“Molecular-scale investigation of interaction mechanisms between uranium and iron-bearing minerals under diverse geochemical conditions of groundwater”) workshop on 26^th January 2016 funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the framework of the strategy of the German Federal Government for the internationalization of science and technology with Korea. The BioFeRad project is led by Prof. Woojin Lee (KAIST) and Prof. Thorsten Schäfer (KIT-INE). Specific topics discussed during the 1^st Annual meeting focused on iron mineral surface induced redox reactions of organic and inorganic species and their kinetics, the spectroscopic characterization of uranium ternary complexes in solution and at the mineral surface and the system description by quantum chemistry, density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations.  

The second day the INE delegation was invited to KAERI (Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute) discussing ongoing and future collaborative activities with the group of Dr. Min-Hoon Baik especially in the field of radio- geochemistry and reactive transport modelling. The program included a visit of the hot lab facility and the extended Korean Underground Research Tunnel (KURT).  

First structural characterization of Pa(IV) in aqueous solution and quantum chemical investigations of the tetravalent actinides up to Bk(IV): the evidence of a curium break

Nidhu lal Banik,*^a Valérie Vallet,^b Florent Réal,^b Réda Mohamed Belmecheri,^c Bernd Schimmelpfennig,^a Jörg Rothe,^a Rémi Marsac,^a Patric Lindqvist-Reis,^a Clemens Walther,^d Melissa A. Denecke^e and Christian M. Marquardt^a

^aInstitut für Nukleare Entsorgung, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany, *corresponding author

^bLaboratoire PhLAM, UMR-CNRS 8523, Université Lille 1 (Sciences et Technologies), F-59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France

^cLaboratoire de Thermodynamique et Modélisation Moléculaire, Faculté de Chimie, USTHB BP 32 El-Alia, 16111 Bab-Ezzouar, Algeria

^dInstitut für Radioökologie und Strahlenschutz, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany

^eDalton Nuclear Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

More than a century after its discovery the structure of the Pa⁴⁺ ion in acidic aqueous solution has been investigated for the first time experimentally and by quantum chemistry. The combined results of EXAFS data and quantum chemically optimized structures suggest that the Pa⁴⁺ aqua ion has an average of nine water molecules in its first hydration sphere at a mean Pa–O distance of 2.43 Å. The data available for the early tetravalent actinide (An) elements from Th⁴⁺ to Bk⁴⁺ show that the An–O bonds have a pronounced electrostatic character, with bond distances following the same monotonic decreasing trend as the An⁴⁺ ionic radii, with a decrease of the hydration number from nine to eight for the heaviest ions Cm⁴⁺ and Bk⁴⁺. Being the first open-shell tetravalent actinide, Pa⁴⁺ features a coordination chemistry very similar to its successors. The electronic configuration of all open-shell systems corresponds to occupation of the valence 5f orbitals, without contribution from the 6d orbitals. Our results thus demonstrate that Pa(IV) resembles its early actinide neighbors.

Just prior to the winter shutdown a significant milestone was reached in the commissioning of the new beamline for catalysis- and radionuclide research CatAct at the Karlsruhe synchrotron radiation source ANKA: the step-by-step alignment of the optical components, starting from the radiation source itself - a superconducting wiggler in the storage-ring – all the way to the high-precision mirrors which focus and guide the highly intensive X-rays to the two new experimental stations. The experimental stations themselves are located in two new laboratories: for “Catalysis research”, jointly operated by the KIT Institute for Technical Chemistry & Polymer Chemistry (ITCP) and the Institute for Catalysis Research and Technology (IKFT), and for “Actinde science”, operated by the Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal. The two experimental facilities are operated alternately. In the first week of December 2015 the first X-ray absorption spectra were acquired from materials related to both research areas.                 

One of the main research areas of ITCP/IKFT is the development of application-oriented catalysts, for example, as energy-storage materials for wind- and solar- generated power, or for purification of exhaust-gases, where due to increasingly stringent limits on exhaust-gas emissions for both diesel- and petrol-powered vehicles exhaust-gas catalysts are playing an increasingly important role (at present this consumes more than 50% of the available precious metal production, in particular Pt, Rh, and Pd.)  The application of synchrotron radiation techniques makes it possible to investigate catalytic processes under real reaction conditions, which in turn allows the direct application of the results gained to current industrial and academic problems, for example in the design, fabrication and modelling of catalysts. X-ray spectroscopic measurements such as those carried out at the CatAct facility provide a unique insight into the electronic and atomic structure of the precious-metal constituents of these catalysts, making a key contribution to the optimization of their performance and consequent reduction in the usage of these expensive materials. The pilot experiments carried out on such platinum catalysts in December at CatAct are a foretaste of the research possibilities now available at the beamline: from early 2016 the new facility at ANKA will offer a worldwide unique experimental station and infrastructure targeted towards application-oriented investigation of catalyst systems, both for university and program-oriented research (SCI, STN, EE, and MML).               

Alongside current advancements in the production and processing of environmentally sustainable catalyst and energy storage materials, the safe, long-term storage of waste materials from nuclear power-generation represents a massive scientific, technical and societal problem. A scientifically sound and socially acceptable waste-disposal concept demands detailed understanding of the mid-term and long-term behaviour of highly active, heat-producing nuclear waste materials (in particular reactor fuel-rods and vitrified reprocessing residues) in intermediate and in future long-term geological repositories. Ensuring that these materials remain permanently isolated from the biosphere requires an understanding of their complex materials science, for example the relationship between chemical state and leaching-properties of uranium and other radionuclides in waste-glasses. Also in this field X-ray absorption spectroscopy delivers directly applicable results, as was illustrated by pilot-experiments on simulated, uranium-doped borosilicate nuclear waste glasses. With a license to investigate radio-isotopes up to 10⁶ times the exemption limit, the new ACT-Station at ANKA, together with the existing INE-Beamline and the direct proximity of the radionuclide laboratories of both INE and the European Commission’s Institute for Transuranium Elements (JRC-ITU), is recognized as presenting unique possibilities for safety research relevant for nuclear waste disposal at the European level. These facilities are available to both the national and international user community within the HGF NUSAFE program and via strategic research cooperation.

After a two day work package meeting of the EU 7th framework project CP BELBaR (Bentonite Erosion: effects on the Long term performance of the engineered Barrier and Radionuclide Transport) 20 PhD students or early-carrier Post-Docs from the United Kingdom (6), Finland (3), Czech Republic (3), Sweden (2), Germany (2), Spain (1), Belgium (1), China (1) and South Korea (1) working in the broad field of clay mineralogy, colloid chemistry and/or nuclear waste disposal research attended the CP BELBaR  training course held at INE from 14th-16th October 2015.

Introductory lectures were given by well-known experts in the field including e.g. Stepan Kalmykov (Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia), Ivars Neretnieks (KTH, Stockholm, Sweden) and  Tiziana Missana (CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain) followed by technical presentations and hands-on training on state-of-the-art analytical techniques available at INE suitable to characterize clays, clay colloids and the interaction of clay colloids with radionuclides. The practical units partly held in the controlled area included techniques such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Laser Induced Breakdown Detection (LIBD), Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (PCS), Streaming and zeta potential measurements, Flow Field Flow Fractionation (FlFFF), Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) and Time Resolved Laser Fluorescence Spectroscopy (TRLFS). The training course ended with a visit of the ANKA Synchrotron radiation facility at KIT with a special focus on the INE beamline.

Am 08. Oktober 2015 besuchten die Parlamentarische Staatssekretärin beim BMUB Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter und die Regierungsdirektorin im Referat RS III 2 (Grundsatzangelegenheiten der nuklearen Entsorgung, Standortauswahl Endlagerung) Mechthild Caspers im Rahmen eines Besuchs am KIT das Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung um sich einen Überblick der Forschungsarbeiten rund um das Thema Endlagerung zu verschaffen. Im Kontrollbereich des INE informierten sich die Staatssekretärin und die Regierungsdirektorin umfassend über die experimentellen Arbeiten.

The Helmholtz Young Investigators Group (HYIG) “Advanced synchrotron based systematic investigations of actinide (An) and lanthanide (Ln) systems to understand and predict their reactivity” led by Tonya Vitova designed, installed and commissioned a multi-analyzer Johann type X-ray emission spectrometer (MAC-spectrometer) at the INE-Beamline for actinide research at the ANKA synchrotron radiation facility, Karlsruhe, Germany (cf. “Instrumentation” in http://www.ine.kit.edu/945.php). The set-up was recently optimized for actinide (An) M_4,5 edge high energy resolution X-ray absorption near edge structure (HR-XANES) and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES)/resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) (cf. Figure) experiments in collaboration with the Synchrotron radiation group and the workshop of INE. This instrument, combined with access to the controlled area laboratory at INE in close proximity, is worldwide unique, enabling An M_4,5 edge HR-XANES and XES/RIXS investigations of solid and liquid phase radioactive materials, including those under extreme conditions. For the first time ever U, Np and Pu M_4,5 edge HR-XANES and RIXS studies of genuine nuclear waste glass, spent nuclear fuel and aqueous solutions containing various Pu oxidations states were recently performed (cf. “Highlights” in http://www.ine.kit.edu/945.php).

Complete Restriction of ³⁶Cl^– Diffusion by Celestite Precipitation in Densely Compacted Illite

Aurélie Chagneau †‡§, Christophe Tournassat *§∥, Carl I. Steefel ∥, Ian C. Bourg ∥#, Stéphane Gaboreau §, Imène Esteve ⊥, Tomas Kupcik †, Francis Claret §, and Thorsten Schäfer †‡
† Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
‡ Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany
§ Water, Environment and Ecotechnology Division, French Geological Survey (BRGM), Orléans, France
∥ Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
# Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI), Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
⊥ Institut de Minéralogie et de Physique des Milieux Condensés, UMR 7590 CNRS-UPMC-IRD, University of Jussieu, 75252 Paris, France

Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett., 2015, 2 (5), pp 139–143
DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00080
Publication Date (Web): April 21, 2015
Copyright © 2015 American Chemical Society
*BRGM, D3E/SVP, 3 avenue Claude Guillemin, 45060 Orléans cedex 2, France. E-mail: c tournassat ∂does-not-exist.brgm fr. Phone: +33 2 38 64 47 44. Fax: +33 2 38 64 30 62.

XAFS and XRF techniques available at the ANKA INE-Beamline for radionuclide science have been successfully applied for the investigation of a borosilicate type HAWC glass obtained during the industrial vitrification process at the former Karlsruhe reprocessing plant. The emphasis of this initial study was to obtain the speciation - i.e., the physical and chemical state - of various actinides and fission products immobilized in the glass matrix - a prerequisite to understand and predict their possible release and remobilization following corrosive waste glass degradation in a deep geological repository. This investigation marks the first time ever that such a material has been transferred to and analyzed at a synchrotron X-ray beamline experimental station – possible due to the close proximity of INE radiochemical labs operating a shielded box line and the ANKA synchrotron facility on KIT Campus North. The study has been recently published in Journal of Nuclear Materials - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.02.021.

Am 04. und 05. März 2015 fand das erste Helmholtz-Koordinierungstreffen nach der PoF-III-Begutachtung im vergangenen Jahr statt. Im Rahmen des Programm-Topics ‚Nuclear Waste Management‘ trafen sich Vertreter des Forschungszentrums Jülich (IEK-6: Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung - Nukleare Entsorgung und Reaktorsicherheit), des Helmholtz-Zentrums Dresden-Rossendorf (IRE: Institut für Ressourcenökologie) und des Karlsruher Instituts (INE) im Forschungszentrum Jülich um den Status Quo sowie das weitere strategische Vorgehen innerhalb des Programm-Topics zu diskutieren.

The Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal

celebrated with a big family feast

its 30th anniversary

Das INE – anfangs hieß es noch Institut für Nukleare Entsorgungstechnik – wurde im Jahr 1980 im damaligen Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe gegründet. Zu dieser Zeit war in Deutschland die Wiederaufarbeitung von abgebranntem Brennstoff aus Kernreaktoren als einziger Entsorgungsweg vorgeschrieben. Bei der Wiederaufarbeitung werden Plutonium und Uran von den bei der Kernspaltung entstandenen Spaltprodukten abgetrennt und wieder zur Stromerzeugung eingesetzt. Die verbleibenden radioaktiven Abfälle müssen dann so behandelt werden, dass man sie sicher endlagern kann.

Mit dieser Thematik befasste sich das damals technologisch ausgerichtete INE in den achtziger Jahren. Es wurden sowohl Methoden untersucht, mit denen die Menge an radioaktiven Abfällen deutlich verringert werden konnte, als auch Verfahren entwickelt, mit denen stabile, für die Endlagerung geeignete Produkte hergestellt und getestet werden konnten.

Nach dem Verzicht auf die Wiederaufarbeitung in Deutschland im Jahre 1989 musste sich das Institut neu orientieren. Der Schwerpunkt der Forschungsarbeiten wurde nun auf die Langzeitsicherheit der Endlagerung ausgerichtet. Von den technologisch orientierten Themen wurden nur die Arbeiten zur Verglasung hochradioaktiver Abfälle weitergeführt. Die im INE entwickelte Schmelzofen- und Prozesstechnologie ist das Herzstück der Verglasungsanlage Karlsruhe, mit der die hochradioaktiven Abfälle der Wiederaufarbeitungsanlage Karlsruhe erfolgreich in stabile, endlagergerechte Produkte überführt wurden.

Die Endlagerung radioaktiver Abfälle liegt in Deutschland in der Verantwortung des Bundes. Im Rahmen der gesellschaftlichen Vorsorgeforschung kümmern sich die Wissenschaftler aus dem INE um die hochradioaktiven Abfälle, für die es bis heute weltweit kein betriebsfähiges Endlager gibt. Die hochradioaktiven Abfälle machen zwar nur etwa 5 Prozent des Gesamtvolumens aller radioaktiven Abfälle aus, sie enthalten aber 99 Prozent der Radioaktivität. Im Mittelpunkt der Sicherheitsforschungen steht das Verhalten der langlebigen Actiniden (z. B. Plutonium, Americium und Neptunium) unter Endlagerbedingungen, weil diese Radionuklide über sehr lange Zeiträume das Gefährdungspotenzial der Abfälle bestimmen.

Langzeitsicherheitsanalysen für Endlager erfordern belastbare Voraussagen zur etwaigen Freisetzung von Radionukliden über sehr lange Zeiträume (hunderttausende von Jahren). Um solche Voraussagen machen zu können, müssen die Prozesse, die die Mobilität dieser Elemente bestimmen, auf molekularem Niveau verstanden sein. Diese Erkenntnisse lassen sich dann auf natürliche Systeme übertragen. Das INE verfolgt genau diesen Forschungsansatz, indem grundlegende Untersuchungen zur Chemie der Actiniden und anwendungsorientierte Untersuchungen in Untertagelabors miteinander verknüpft werden. Da in Deutschland noch keine Entscheidung über den Standort für ein Endlager für hochradioaktive Abfälle getroffen wurde, sind alle derzeit international diskutierten Wirtsgesteinsformationen für Endlager (Salz, Granit, Ton) in die Untersuchungen einbezogen.Solche Untersuchungen sind sehr aufwendig und anspruchsvoll. Deshalb ist die Entwicklung von experimentellen und analytischen Methoden zur Bestimmung von Actiniden im Spurenkonzentrationsbereich ein weiterer Schwerpunkt der Forschungen.

Zusammen mit den radioaktiven Labors und den extrem leistungsfähigen analytischen Methoden im INE steht dem KIT eine weltweit einmalige experimentelle Infrastruktur zur Verfügung, die in Verbindung mit der großen Expertise der INE-Wissenschaftler im Bereich der Actiniden ein Alleinstellungsmerkmal darstellt. Dies zeigt sich auch an dem großen internationalen Interesse. So ist das INE in dem von der EU geförderten ACTINET-Projekt eine der großen europäischen Institutionen, an denen Gastwissenschaftler und Doktoranden aus ganz Europa Actinidenforschung betreiben können. Da der Leiter des INE, Prof. Dr. Horst Geckeis, gleichzeitig einen Lehrstuhl für Radiochemie am KIT-Campus Süd innehat sind das Institut und seine Mitarbeiter eng in die Ausbildung von Studenten und wissenschaftlichem Nachwuchs auf dem Gebiet der Nuklearchemie eingebunden. Darüber hinaus sind Wissenschaftler des INE an den Universitäten Berlin, Heidelberg, Mainz und Jena in die Lehre und Ausbildung tätig.

Der wissenschaftliche Nachwuchs wird in diesem interessanten Forschungsbereich gebraucht. Denn die Sicherheit der nuklearen Entsorgung muss unabhängig von Ausstiegsszenarien gewährleistet sein. Und eine in letzter Zeit immer häufiger diskutierte Renaissance der Kernenergie wird es nur mit dem Nachweis der sicheren Entsorgung geben.

Klaus Gompper